Wednesday, November 12, 2008

What's the Problem with Boys?

Below is an excerpt from an excellent article published in Florida.   I really liked the Tips for Parents section.   Be sure to visit the link to the full article.

Tips for Parents:

"Boys are trailing behind girls in school in a number of academic areas. According to the 2000 National Assessment of Education Progress (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000) and Dr. Michael Gurian of the Gurian Institute, the following statistics should raise concerns for everyone:

Two-thirds of all learning disability diagnoses are for boys.
Seventy percent of all D's and F's on report cards go home in boys' backpacks - not girls.
Ninety percent of school discipline referrals are for boys.
Eighty percent of all Ritalin takers are boys.
Eighty percent of all school dropouts are boys.
Fewer than 40 percent of college students are currently male.
Girls in general are surpassing boys in school in all subjects except math and science, and even that gap has closed significantly in the past few years.

When education lapses and youth choose dropping out over staying in school, they are at risk for a number of negative outcomes, including an increased likelihood of violent and criminal behavior, the possibilities for good employment being dramatically lowered, self esteem drops, and causing suffering among families and loved ones. Youth who drop out are more likely to depend on government welfare and contribute less to society.

We need to rethink how we teach young people and how we approach the learning differences of girls and boys. Teachers, coaches, parents and all adults involved with both genders need to be aware and of the different learning styles and teaching strategies that work with boys and girls. "

For the full article, click here.

1 comment:

Daniel S said...

I believe that it is a huge necessity to get boys interested in learning and reading young. Generally boys learn more through playing so the need to see the fun and adventurous side of reading to get them hooked. I love this site as it caters to these boys and recommends them new books monthly. We have to remember that every student learns a little different from the next so we need the books to keep flowing in as if one does not catch their eye maybe the next will. I also like seeing that this site has relatable books featured on it as kids can learn more about themselves and other cultures they may experience around peers that they may not have understood before, or have been afraid to ask about. The take action tab has been the biggest seller of this site. We must remind ourselves and others that teacher are not the only ones that boys(or anyone) learn from, and shows how everyone in the community can help out! Keep them coming boys read!